A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
The invention relates generally to apparel and equipment worn to provide rolling surfaces over a plurality of areas of a user""s body and additional apparel providing protection and frictional surfaces for directing, producing, retarding or stopping motion.
Very often particular apparel or equipment is worn in order to enhance the performance of certain tasks. For example, many athletes wear clothing that is designed to reduce drag coefficients, such as swimmers or skier""s. Also, workers sometimes wear equipment that allows them to more easily perform their job, such as a painter that puts on stilts in order to reach a ceiling or a coal-miner that wears a helmet with a light.
Currently, there exists apparel that is designed to have low friction surfaces, such as is described by U.S. Pat. No. 5,829,057 to Gunn. These garments are intended to either protect the skin or reduce, to a limited extent, normal frictional coefficients either between the wearer""s body and the garment or between the garment and exterior surfaces, objects or fluids. These low friction garments are generally intended to prevent injuries that might be caused by sudden or abrupt stops when an individual""s body is made to slide on a hard surface at high speeds. Also, these low friction garments are additionally intended to minimize drag coefficients through fluids such as air or water, in order to maximize athletic performance.
Additionally, it is known that protective yet functional equipment, such as rolling kneepads are available that provide protection and mobility to the wearer while still on his or her knees. U.S. Pat. No. 5,870,774 to Legenstein and U.S. Pat. No. 2,484,494 to Ferguson disclose just such rolling kneepads. This type of equipment is generally intended solely for workers and is limited to providing rolling mobility to a user on his or her knees.
The prior art does not disclose apparel or equipment that provides rolling surfaces over a substantial portion of a wearer""s body and particularly on a user""s upper body. Further, the prior art does not disclose a roller suit that includes additional apparel providing protection and frictional surfaces for directing, producing, retarding and stopping motion
In accordance with the invention there is presented a body suit that contains a plurality of rollers wherein a wearer""s body can roll along a surface. More particularly, the roller suit can contain a distribution of rollers such that a wearer lying on a surface would be supported substantially by those rollers. The invention also relates to apparel and equipment worn for safety and control while using the roller suit. The invention further relates to methods for producing a roller suit.
It is a principle object of this invention to provide equipment and apparel which will facilitate a user""s ability to roll along the ground or any surface desired. A further object of the invention is to provide a method for producing a body suit that contains a plurality of rollers that are selectively distributed over a body suit in order to support a user""s weight and provide efficient rolling capability. It is another object of this invention to provide a method of producing a roller suit using a combination of soft cushioning materials and more rigid structures to support rollers. It is yet another object of the invention to provide equipment and apparel which contains a plurality of rollers and other surfaces for not only rolling on a surface, but controlling the speed and direction of travel along that surface.
One of the key elements to the invention relates to providing an efficient means for a wearer to roll along surfaces, that is incorporated into that wearer""s apparel. Whether for entertainment or to accomplish tasks more easily the invention has numerous applications.
Another element of the instant invention is the location of rollers, which are strategically placed on the suit in order to support evenly a wearer""s body while rolling. The rollers should be positioned in order to allow the wearer to make various body movements, while rolling, that do not unintentionally retard rolling.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, sufficient padding and protective gear can be provided in order to ensure the safety and comfort of a wearer. Equipment, such as a helmet, gloves, shoes and other gear can be used as part of the instant invention. Special gloves and shoes or shoe covers should be provided for steering, propulsion, positioning and breaking. Also, specific areas of the suit are provided with rigid plates designed to distribute impact loads felt by the users. Further, it is anticipated that padding would be provided in the suit in order to enhance the comfort to the wearer. Further still, the instant invention can include portions of the roller suit that provide ventilation or cooling.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the roller suit should be adjustable in order to accommodate wearers of different sizes, proportions and shapes. The adjustments would allow a wearer to make the suit tighter or looser in various parts of the body as they desire.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, additional roller bearings can be added to the suit to provide additional roller support. Also, it is anticipated that the instant invention can be constructed with fewer rollers as desired. The use of fewer rollers could reduce the overall cost of constructing the suit as well as making the suit lighter and thus more comfortable. Further, it is anticipated that certain applications for the suit might not require rollers in particular areas, such as either the entire front or back.